School and Library Visits

Program Descriptions:

Meet the Author: A lively conversation with Kathy MacMillan, author of Sword and Verse, about worldbuilding, literacy, and the way fantasy reflects the concerns of the real world. (geared to readers age 12 and up)

From Worldbuilding to Storybuilding:No matter what your genre, a rich palette of details brings the world of your story to life. Kathy MacMillan, author of Sword and Verse, shows how to focus on the specifics you need at each stage of the writing process to build your characters’ world without ever losing sight of the story at its heart. (geared to writers age 12 and up)

Choices and Consequences:Kathy MacMillan, author of Sword and Verse, shows how to analyze your story through the lens of choices and consequences to create coherent plots, compelling characters, and satisfying endings. (geared to writers age 12 and up)

Taking off the Training Wheels: Neil Gaiman says fanfiction can act as a training ground for writing original fiction. Is he right? Kathy MacMillan, author of Sword and Verse, discusses how writing fanfic in the Harry Potter, Star Trek, and Babylon 5 fandoms prepared her for creating fictional worlds of her own. (geared to writers age 12 and up)

Connecting with Debut Authors: Learn about the ins and outs of the debut author experience, connecting with debut author groups, and how librarians, teachers, bloggers, and readers can get in on the ground floor with exciting new authors. Kathy MacMillan, author of Sword and Verse, is a librarian and the founder/lead administrator of the Sweet Sixteens debut author group. (geared to librarians, teachers, and bloggers)

Brilliant Book Signings: From library and bookstore appearances to festivals, discover best practices for booking signings and making them meaningful promotion tailored to your book and your personality. As a bookseller, librarian, tour organizer, and author of nonfiction and YA novels, Kathy MacMillan brings her experience from both sides of the book signing table. (geared to adult authors)

Character Building in Fantasy (co-presented with Daniel M. Ford): Worldbuilding is fun, but someone’s got to live in that world, and compelling characters will make readers want to stay put. Join Daniel M. Ford, author of The Paladin Trilogy (Santa Fe Writers Project) and Kathy MacMillan, author of Sword and Verse (HarperTeen) for a lively discussion on selecting the right characters to tell your story, and how to make fictional people seem real. (geared to adult authors)

Book Sales: I request that schools and libraries offer sales of the book in conjunction with visits. Book sales may be offered before, after, or during the visit. Connect with your local independent bookstore here. I will be available to sign books after the session or at another agreed-upon time during the visit.

Group Size: Up to 200 students.

Cancellation Policy: In cases of cancellation due to inclement weather or other emergency school closings, sessions will be rescheduled based upon availability and a full refund offered if rescheduling is not possible. Programs cancelled with less than 72 hours (3 days) notice for any other reason will be assessed a 50% cancellation fee.

Upcoming Events

UMBC Comic ConMarch 2, 2018 at 11:00 am – 7:00 pmUMBC Comic-Con A FREE convention with panels, video-games and prizes! Friday, March 2, 2018 · 1 PM - 7 PM University of MD, Baltimore County University Center : Ballroom, 310, 312 On March 2nd, the Comics and Other Media Club will be hosting the 3rd Annual UMBC Comic Con in the University Center Ballroom from…

FREE Webinar: A Conversation with Young Adult AuthorsMarch 3, 2018 at 3:00 pm – 3:45 pmThe MD/DE/WV Region is pleased to host these FREE webinars, open to everyone, as part of the Read Local Challenge, which gives you the chance to win prizes by reading books by featured authors from Maryland, Delaware, Washington, D.C., and Virginia! Join us as these authors discuss their inspirations and challenges and answer your questions!…